Over 1600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jail hold mass hunger strike, two of the arrested pass 70 days without food

On Monday, the Israeli supreme court rejected the appeal of two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike for 70 days. The appeal rejection of Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh was described as a death sentence by Physicians for Human Rights whose doctors have been denied access to the prisoners.

Since the Israeli occupation began in 1967, 40% of the Palestinian male population has been imprisoned at some point in their lives.

In mid-April, the day Khader Adnan, a prisoner on s 66 day hunger strike, was freed, more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners went on a mass hunger strike. In solidarity, hundreds protested outside Ramle Jail where high-profile Political Prisoner Ahmad Sa’adat is held. Israeli police attacked the protest, arresting 17. A local court forbids them to communicate with each other for 15 days, sentencing them to five day on house arrest.

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